Adjustable table



(No Model.)

J. BELL. ADJUSTABLE TABLE.

No. 598,895. Patented Peb. l5, 1898.

o., wAsmNGTcN D c UNITED `ST1/vries PnfilinvrA OFFICE.

JOS-EPH BELL, OF FLORA, INDIANA.

. ADJUSTABLE TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,895, dated February 15, 1898.

Application iiled September 1l, 1896. Serial No. 605,507. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.- A

Beit known that I, JOSEPH BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flora, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Table, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to tables, and has for its object to provide an article of this character which is especially designed for use in sick-rooms, the same being constructed in such manner as to be readily and quickly applicable to the invalids bed and adjustable so that it may be brought into any desired position and when not needed swung out of the way or entirely removed, as may be most desirable- The invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and embodied in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of an adjustable table constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown applied to the side rail of a bed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a reverse perspective view of the table proper and the supporting bracket-arm. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of-the attaching-clamp.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The improved table comprises an eXtensible telescopicstandard consisting of a lower'l tubular portion 1 and an upper extensible portion 2, sliding into the portion 1 and'held at any desired point by means of a bindingscrew 3, passing through a xed collar 4. at the upper end of the tube 1.

The -extensible two-part standard provided in my improved table attachment has the hollow or tubular member 1 provided interiorly with a smooth surface to enable the solid portion or member 2 to it therein, so as to turn or slide freely according as it is desired to adjust the solid member 2 vertically or axially within the standard. The upper end of the solid member 2 is provided with a stem or spindle arranged in alinement with the axis of the solid standard member gbut this stem is of'less diameter than the solid member, to form an annular ledge or shoulder. The solid lmemberof the standard and its stem have smooth surfaces to enable the standard to be adjusted properly in the hollow standard member, and on the smooth stern of the solid 'standard member fits the vertically-apertured head 10, presently described.

The lower end of the part 1 of the standard is tightly but revolubly fitted in a cup 5, formed integrally with a U-shaped clamp 6, having in the terminus of one of its arms a threaded opening, through which is inserted a clamping-screw '7, the inner end of which -sible portion 2 of the standard is a tubular elbow 10, which may be held against rotation by means of a set-screw l1. This elbow comprises a tubular horizontal extension 12, in which is inserted one end of a bracket-ar1n 13, the opposite or outer end of which is forked or bifurcated, as shown at 14, to form extending parallel arms.

15 designates a table of any desired size, the same having secured to its under side spaced cleats 16, each of which is provided with spaced openings 17 for they insertion of the arms of the fork 14. These arms are preferably located in the same horizontal plane, so as to hold the table level.

At the same l time the table may be readily removed from the remainder of the attachment by simply An adjustable table constructed as above described may be quickly and readily at-.j

vsliding the same off the arms of the fork 14.

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arm 13 is constructed to hold the table against tilting movement thereon,while allowing the table to be adjusted freely in a longitudinal direction on said bracket-arm. This bracketarm 13 has its free end forked to provide the parallel members 1l, whichare joined to a single shank that is fastened in the extension 12 of the rotatable elbow 10. Said members 14 of the bracket-arm are loosely fitted in the spaced openings 17 in the cleats 16, fastened to the lower side of the table, and the members 111 thus serve to firmly hold the table against tilting movement in a vertical direc- 1 tion, whereby the contents of the table will not be precipitated accidentally upon the bed to which the ta-ble is fastened. At the same time the table can be moved longitudinally on the parallel members 14 of the bracketarm to adjust the table to the required position convenient to the operator.

In my improved attachment the table may be swung horizontally on the standard either by `turning the standard in the cup or socket 5 or by turning the elbow 10 on the standard. The table may be raised or lowered, as required, by adjusting the section 2 in the section 1 of the standard. The attachment is thus capable of a threefold adj ustment-z`.'e. to raise or lower the table, to swing it in a horizontal plane,with the standard as its center of movement, and to adjust the table in a horizontal direction toward or from the standardall of these adjustments being attained without tilting the table in a vertical plane and obviating any tendency to precipitate the contents of the table upon the bed.

I am aware that prior to my invention it was not new to provide an'adjustable tablesupport to be applied to sick-beds, consisting of a clamping-bracket to be fastened to the bed-rail, a horizontal swinging arm pivoted to said bracket, a rack-formed standard slidably fitted in said horizontal arm, gearing journaled in the arm and meshing with the rack of the standard to adjust the latter, a block pivoted to the upper end of the standard, and a table-arm adj ustably fastened to said block by intermeshing spring-controlled ratchet devices, and such construction is hereby disclaimed, as it is foreign to my invention.

In my present improvement I have simplified and cheapened the construction by dispensing with the arm and gearing for the standard and arranging the parts in a peculiar manner to secure the desired elevation of the standard, its rotation in the step-bearing of the clamping-bracket independently of the rotation' of the head which carries the table-arm, and at the same time the head may be turned on the standard without turning Athe latter in its step-bearing in the clampingbracket. My improved standard has its hollow and solid members formed with smooth faces, so that they may be contracted or extended, as desired, and the parts are held rigidly together by a simple set-screw. This standard is rotatably stepped in the clamping-bracket to permit the standard and table `to turn and suit the convenience of the beds occupant. The solid member of the standard is constructed with a solid upper end forming a bearing-face for the rotatable head, and from said solid upper end projects a central pintle, which receives the rotatable head, whereby `the latter has a firm central pivotbearing on the extensible standard. This head 10 may be clamped rigidly in place on the pintle of the standard by a set-screw which is independent of the set-screw that bolts the standard-sections together, and thus the table may be raised, lowered, or swung horizontally without hindrance or interference of one part with the other.

My improved attachment is extremely sim- 9 ple in construction, cheap of manufacture, and provides for the necessary adjustments of the table to suit the convenience of the user.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- The table attachment for bedsteads herein shown and described comprising a clampingbracket 6 provided at its upper end with an upwardly-projecting step-bearing 5, an extensible standard having its hollow member fitted frictionally and directly at its lower extremity in said step-bearing of the clamping-bracket, and the solid standard member provided at its upper extremity with an axial pintle which protrudes above a bearing-face thereon, a clamping-screw which binds the hollow and solid members of the standard directly together, a horizontally revoluble head apertured vertically to iit directly on the pintle of the standard and resting on the bearing-face at the upper extremity thereof, a clamping-screw mounted in said revoluble head and adapted to bind on the standardpintle, a branched arm fixed in the head to turn horizontally therewith, and a table fitted slidably on the branches of the carrying-arm,

substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- JOSEPH BELL.

Witnesses:

S. W. YUNDT, T. E. BURRIN.

IOC 

